We talk a lot about hiring people with disabilities not just because it’s our mission and we believe it’s the right thing to do, but because we know from first-hand experience that it Works! All it takes is one small act of being willing to investigate what it will entail and how it might work for your organization. Before you know it you will have created a ripple effect.

Klynt started out in our production area where he worked in the Pearl Buck Center metal room then moved up to the janitorial crew, and then when he was ready he moved out into a community job working at Fuller Cabinet as a shop clean up person and now he is making cabinets.

James, came to us looking for work, we put him to work on our janitorial crew, where he has some responsibilities. He drives and often fills in at several locations and has also been doing temporary work in our postal department.

Aaron had been working at a pizza shop for quite a few years and wanted to do something different. We found a place for him on our janitorial crew where he is thriving, making friends and feels valued.

Lyndon had been working at Dari Mart for several years when it became too hard for him to keep up, but he wasn’t ready to retire so he came to our janitorial crew. and put in another few years before he retired.

Kelly came to us seeking work and we placed her in our very own Community Services department as an administrative assistant, where she has been challenged to learn and try new things.

Nicole, Molly, and Courtney all were interested in child care. After doing assessments and showing that they could perform the job of Teacher’s assistant, the Pearl Buck Preschool hired them on.

Chris was desperate to find a job so he could support his daughter, we placed him in a dishwashing position with the now defunct Eagles Lodge on Irving Road. When he came back to us seeking work again, we put him to work as a delivery driver.

Julian was referred to us by Vocational Rehabilitation. We found him a community job, but after doing an assessment in our LEAP department it was clear that he has an aptitude with the people that we serve and we found him a place on our Community Placements team as well, working as a job coach.

So you can see we have hired people to fill a variety of positions within our very own walls, where they are working as part of a team, thriving, and earning a minimum wage paycheck. There are more individuals with disabilities on our payroll that I could list. Each person filling a real need that Pearl Buck Center has experienced as a result of our continued growth

We have been successful in hiring people experiencing disabilities and have supported them to excel at the work that they do. This makes us better equipped to teach others on how to best implement people with disabilities into a workplace. We know first hand what it takes to succeed. Contact us, we can help you figure out how your business can do the same. community.employment @pearlbuckcenter.com

You never know how one small act, of hiring someone with a disability can affect your community.